Digital Interactive Edition Also In This Issue: - Chlorpyrifos ban to begin
- Snail management in citrus
- Grower survey results
- Blueberry mechanical harvesting Grimmway
Farms Creates
Carrot Kingdom Specialty Crop Grower is a publication of: UP FRONT Make estate planning
a top priority By Frank Giles ometimes when writing this column, I will scan the internet looking for topics that could be relevant for this page. Doing just that for this month’s issue, I came across a headline that had eye-catching power. It was a write-up from American Farm Bureau Federation Associate Economist Samantha Ayoub titled “Estate Tax Cliff Threatens Family Farms.” In the article, Ayoub describes the potential fallout from the expiration at the end of the year of many provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Without congressional action, on Jan. 1, 2026, the exemption on the estate tax will drop by 50% to $7.61 million. On the face of it, that figure seems pretty high. But when accounting for the assets of land, equipment and all the other infrastructure of a modern farm, that exemption can be hit pretty quickly. As Ayoub noted, that doesn’t mean those farmers are rolling around in cash, and many will struggle to pay the tax bill when a loved one dies. The article noted: “The TCJA doubled the estate tax exemption from $5.5 million per individual to $11 million indexed for inflation. Property left to a spouse transfers without an estate tax, which can effectively double the estate tax exemption when a surviving spouse passes. That means that in 2025, the estate of any farmer or rancher with a net worth over $13.99 million, if owned by an individual owner, or $27.98 million if owned by a married couple, must file an estate tax return within nine months of their passing.” Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that if the estate tax exemption reverts to its pre-TCJA level, nearly twice as many farms in every sales class would have to pay estate taxes. What is an estate? Ayoub notes it is pretty much a family’s earthly belongings, but on average more than 80% of that value is tied up in the land. That means family farmers need a plan to free up cash to pay the tax bill after a loved one dies. If the exemption is lowered, that means more families will be dealing with this issue. Ayoub provides stats on the increasing value of farmland across the country. In some areas, this is caused by competition for good ground. In other areas, it is being driven by urban development. Growers in places like Florida and other southeastern states can attest to that. There’s a lot on the table in Washington when it comes to taxes. President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” would extend the TJCA tax cuts and also introduce new cuts. But it’s a wild time in D.C., so who knows how all of this will shake out. Ayoub notes in her article that this only reinforces the importance of estate planning on the farm: “Beyond the impact on individual families, farm succession is critical for ensuring future farm production we all rely on. The turnover of a farm or ranch from one generation to the next requires difficult conversations and extensive planning to set up the family for success. Farmers face uncertainty in many forms, like weather, markets and costs. Providing certainty to the estate tax going forward can lessen the burden of keeping the farm in the family while facing these day-to-day challenges during a difficult time.” Visit is.gd/EstateTax to read her article. S Fresh From
SPECIALTYCROPGROWER.COM Trade Imbalance Growiing The United States is importing more agricultural crops into the country than it is exporting. That has resulted in an agricultural trade deficit. It’s further evidence that the United States is becoming increasingly dependent on other countries for its food supply, says University of Florida associate professor Zhengfei Guan. “We can survive without an iPhone, but we can’t live without food. I think it’s important to have food security in mind when we talk about trade,” Guan said. Guan spoke at a recent blueberry meeting in Citra, Florida. He presented facts taken from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service and noted a surplus of more than $30 billion in 2010 has dropped to an ag deficit of almost $40 billion in 2024. The deficit is even higher for horticultural products at $63 billion. Mexico was the top exporter of ag goods to the United States in 2024 with 23% of exported goods, and 40% of those goods were fruits and vegetables. Total ag imports into the United States in 2024 were valued at $214 billion. Total imports of fruits and vegetables were valued at $32,872 million, with fresh fruits accounting for $19,916 million. Of the total U.S. blueberry production in 2024, 16% was from Georgia and only 3% from Florida. Mexico’s blueberry imports were non-existent in 2008 but netted 140 million pounds in 2024. Florida’s blueberry production was 20 million pounds in 2023. Tariffs Create Concern The United States is importing more agricultural crops into the country than it is exporting. That has resulted in an agricultural trade deficit. It’s further evidence that the United States is becoming increasingly dependent on other countries for its food supply, says University of Florida associate professor Zhengfei Guan. “We can survive without an iPhone, but we can’t live without food. I think it’s important to have food security in mind when we talk about trade,” Guan said. Guan spoke at a recent blueberry meeting in Citra, Florida. He presented facts taken from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service and noted a surplus of more than $30 billion in 2010 has dropped to an ag deficit of almost $40 billion in 2024. The deficit is even higher for horticultural products at $63 billion. Mexico was the top exporter of ag goods to the United States in 2024 with 23% of exported goods, and 40% of those goods were fruits and vegetables. Picking Pecan Varieties Variety selection may be the most important choice a Southeast pecan producer makes in their quest to remain sustainable. The variety’s production, combined with resistance or high tolerance to scab disease, are essential for growers trying to navigate high input costs and low market prices. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan specialist Lenny Wells highlighted a few selections that growers should consider. “We’ve got three varieties right now that I’m really high on. They are Avalon, Creek and Lakota. All three of those have excellent yield potential. I think we can average 2,000 to 2,500 pounds an acre with these varieties,” Wells said. “The scab resistance with these is better than most of the things that we grow. Right now, I would rank them in order of scab resistance: Lakota, Avalon and Creek. You can also throw Excel into that group. But I think for consistent production of heavier yields, Avalon, Creek and Lakota would do well.” Grimmway Farms staying on
top of the carrot kingdom

In the competitive world of fresh produce, growers must remain agile and quick to adapt to changing conditions. There are many different pathways to success despite the challenges. One path is a growth trajectory to spread risks and ensure supply. Another path is to remain small and focused on a niche product or customer base. And there are all sorts of business models in between. Grimmway Farms has chosen the growth pattern but has helped smaller growers and ancillary businesses along the way. Today, the company is one of the largest carrot growers in the world, with more than 40,000 acres planted annually. Jeff Huckaby is a fourth-generation farmer who has been involved with carrot production his entire life. He learned to grow carrots and potatoes from his grandfather at an early age. He joined Grimmway Farms in 1998 and worked his way up the ranks in various jobs before becoming president of the business in 2015. Huckaby has seen the carrot business evolve into one of the most popular items in the produce department of grocery stores. “I’ve been growing carrots for about 35 years. I started out driving a tractor, then was a farm manager and farm plant manager, so I’ve had quite a history with Grimmway Farms and have grown with it over the years,” Huckaby says.

Huckaby says having worked in all capacities from the growing side to the business side of the company illustrates the vital importance of keeping the customer happy. One of the key ways Grimmway Farms has achieved this is surety of supply all year long. “We’ve gone to our retail customers and told them we can be your year-round supplier of carrots. You don’t need to worry about when one season ends somewhere and constantly be looking for a new source,” Huckaby says. “Whether it is our carrots coming out of Georgia, California or Colorado, you as the retailer don’t really need to worry about that. We’ll take care of making sure you have a good supply of high-quality affordable carrots for your stores.” That has been accomplished by having a large footprint in different growing regions. The home-base for Grimmway Farms is California, where two crops per year can be grown. For a variety of reasons, Huckaby said the company looked to expand to other states. One key reason was the realization that availability of water in California could be a limiting factor in production. The company grows carrots in nine other states. Huckaby says they’ve sought out seasonal sweet spots in those states. While other states can only produce one crop per year, they are positioned to be great for both production and logistics. New Layer SURETY OF SUPPLY The other way Grimmway Farms has maintained and grown its customer base is through organic carrots and diversification into other crops. The farm’s second-largest crop is potatoes with about 20,000 acres planted annually. “We decided to try organic carrot production in about 1999, and I took on the responsibility to lead that effort,” Huckaby says. “In 2001, we bought a company called Cal-Organic Farms, which really launched us into organic production. Today, we are producing about 15,000 DECISION TO DIVERSIFY

acres of organic carrots. Organics, in general, have become a very important part of our business.” The organic carrots opened the door for more organic crops. Other crops are planted on the organic ground for beneficial rotation purposes. In total, Grimmway produces 65 different organic crops on 55,000 acres. The company is one of the largest organic growers in the nation.

SOUTHEASTERN EXPANSION One of the sweet spots for regional production was the 2019 acquisition of Generation Farms, based in Lake Park, Georgia. The farm produces carrots in South Georgia and North Florida. “As we looked to expand our footprint outside of California, we began looking to the Southeast because of the availability of water and to reduce food miles of transporting produce across the country,” Huckaby says. “With the addition of Generation Farms, it was not just another production region. We picked up some great talent, and it really strengthened our year-round surety of supply of carrots. In addition to carrots, we also grow some other organic crops at the location. It is a nice size

an industrial green bean cutter to trim down the irregular carrots into smaller, uniform pieces and then polished them into the smooth, rounded shapes recognized today as baby carrots. “It more than doubled carrot consumption, because people started eating fresh carrots instead of seeing them as a cooking item,” Huckaby says. “It was a revolution and the biggest growth mechanism our industry had ever seen.” In 1995, Grimmway Farms acquired the farm owned by Yurosek. The industry shifted to breed carrots suitable for baby carrot production. New equipment was designed to optimize processing and efficiency. “We now have 16 different cuts of fresh carrots to satisfy consumer demands,” Huckaby says. “Utilizing the full crop is very important to us, especially in a world where we are trying to reduce food waste. Anything that doesn’t meet our size and shape standards goes to our juice plant where we create a wide variety of juice and carrot ingredient options.”

TAILORED TECHNOLOGY New technology played a big role in the evolution of baby carrots, but it also has impacted other aspects of Grimmway Farms. The focus is on productivity and efficiency. “We are constantly looking at how we can automate more processes and be more productive on the ground that we have,” Huckaby says. “In our processing facilities, we’ve developed a lot of cutting and sorting technology in-house because there are not that many carrot equipment manufacturers in the country. For instance, with our carrot harvesters, we start with a John Deere cab, then our engineers build the rest.

operation and has grown into a great asset for Grimmway Farms.” Jason Chandler, director of southeast farming operations for the company, was among the talent that came with the acquisition. “I am still impressed each day with the level of professionalism and attention to detail that our team members and growers put forth,” Chandler says. “Everything we do from food safety, farming, harvesting, packaging, shipping, logistics, our accounting teams, you name it, we all are focused on putting fresh, healthy and safe produce on tables every day.”

BABY CARROT REVOLUTION There are few crops that experience a revolution like what was witnessed when baby carrots were conceived. While Grimmway Farms didn’t invent the concept, the farm played a pivotal role in its development. Baby carrots were developed in the mid-1980s by California farmer Mike Yurosek. Frustrated with the amount of waste from misshapen or imperfect carrots that didn’t meet supermarket standards, Yurosek came up with an innovative solution. He used

 "WE'VE HAD ACRES THIS YEAR WITH ZERO WEEDING LABOR AT ALL WHEN LASER WEEDING, THAT'S REMARKABLE. WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN QUALITY AND CONSISTENCY OF THE CROP." - Ryan Roth, Owner of Roth Farms

productivity and efficiency. “We are constantly looking at how we can automate more processes and be more productive on the ground that we have,” Huckaby says. “In our processing facilities, we’ve developed a lot of cutting and sorting technology in-house because there are not that many carrot equipment manufacturers in the country. For instance, with our carrot harvesters, we start with a John Deere cab, then our engineers build the rest.

“We are big fans of laser weeding machines, especially in our organic production. We have six weeders from Carbon Robotics and can run them 24-7 instead of hand weeding. And we’ve incorporated the use of drones to fly our fields to look at water patterns or scout for diseases.” INVESTIGATING AI Huckaby says the next frontier the company is investigating is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in operations. He believes it will play an important role in the future.

TAILORED TECHNOLOGY New technology played a big role in the evolution of baby carrots, but it also has impacted other aspects of Grimmway Farms. The focus is on productivity and efficiency. “We are constantly looking at how we can automate more processes and be more productive on the ground that we have,” Huckaby says. “In our processing facilities, we’ve developed a lot of cutting and sorting technology in-house because there are not that many carrot equipment manufacturers in the country. For instance, with our carrot harvesters, we start with a John Deere cab, then our engineers build the rest. year-round and affordable. It was exciting because consumption was off the charts. But we are always looking for the next step. We now grow different colored carrots with different levels of antioxidants. We have purple, red and yellow carrots in addition to our traditional orange carrots. “We have a package of ‘rainbow’ carrots so the consumer can get a taste of each color. We have also added more snack-friendly packaging like carrots chips that come with hummus, ranch or guacamole for easy snacking. And we’ve recently developed a carrot fry that looks just like a french fry and can be cooked in an air fryer.” EMPLOYEE EMPHASIS If you review the company website (grimmway.com), it is clear there is emphasis placed on employee recognition and development. Huckaby says this has been a cornerstone of Grimm-way Farms’ success. New technology played a big role in the evolution of baby carrots, but it also has impacted other aspects

“When we look at the best varieties to plant, the timing of planting, populations of plants, inputs, rotations with other crops, all of those things we do manually now,” he says. “And we’ve got some great people doing this with 20 and 30 years of experience, but we believe AI could really help streamline this process. “We have about 6,800 plantings and harvests per year when you look at all of our crops. Spreadsheets can only take you so far when you are trying to keep track of all that and trying to schedule plantings and rotations three years out. So, we are looking closely at how AI can help us manage all of this.” PRODUCT INNOVATION Another key to Grimmway Farms’ success in growing consumer demand has been creating new products. The company works closely with commercial seed suppliers to develop new varieties with a suite of desirable traits for different geographies. “The first 20 years after baby carrots were great because everybody wanted them,” Huckaby says. “They are available

year-round and affordable. It was exciting because consumption was off the charts. But we are always looking for the next step. We now grow different colored carrots with different levels of antioxidants. We have purple, red and yellow carrots in addition to our traditional orange carrots. “We have a package of ‘rainbow’ carrots so the consumer can get a taste of each color. We have also added more snack-friendly packaging like carrots chips that come with hummus, ranch or guacamole for easy snacking. And we’ve recently developed a carrot fry that looks just like a french fry and can be cooked in an air fryer.” EMPLOYEE EMPHASIS If you review the company website (grimmway.com), it is clear there is emphasis placed on employee recognition and development. Huckaby says this has been a cornerstone of Grimm-way Farms’ success. “We do a lot of things to recognize our employees. We are right now getting ready to celebrate our big family

picnic which brings everyone together for a day full of entertainment and food,” he says. “We also offer scholarships to the kids of our employees to develop their skills. We have summer internships with Grimmway Farms to hopefully get those kids interested in agriculture. It is a pool of talent that we recruit from to make our business better and stronger in the future.” Huckaby also meets annually with every employee of the company in small groups without supervisors. This helps him stay on top of their needs and to report new benefits. “I tell them about new benefits we can offer, health care, etc. and ask them about any issues they might be having and how we address those things. This pretty much takes the month of June to get around to all the employees in our different locations. PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPS Grimmway Farms partners with other growers. On non-organic production, the company partners with more than 100

“We have some family farms that have been growing for us for more than 30 years. The farms range in size, and we have multiple different arrangements with the farms to develop a program that suits what they need, while supplying us with high-quality produce.” This philosophy of a rising tide lifts all boats has paid off for Grimmway Farms in growth over the years and holding on to its leadership position. Huckaby says that the approach will continue going forward, and the company will keep advocating for all specialty crop growers in regional associations and at the national level through groups like the International Fresh Produce Association. picnic which brings everyone together for a day full of entertainment and food,” he says. “We also offer scholarships to the kids of our employees to develop their skills. We have summer internships with Grimmway Farms to hopefully get those kids interested in agriculture. It is a pool of talent that we recruit from to make our business better and stronger

“We have some family farms that have been growing for us for more than 30 years. The farms range in size, and we have multiple different arrangements with the farms to develop a program that suits what they need, while supplying us with high-quality produce.” This philosophy of a rising tide lifts all boats has paid off for Grimmway Farms in growth over the years and holding on to its leadership position. Huckaby says that the approach will continue going forward, and the company will keep advocating for all specialty crop growers in regional associations and at the national level through groups like the International Fresh Produce Association. picnic which brings everyone together for a day full of entertainment and food,” he says. “We also offer scholarships to the kids of our employees to develop their skills. We have summer internships with Grimmway Farms to hopefully get those kids interested in agriculture. It is a pool of talent that we recruit from to make our business better and stronger in the future.” Huckaby also meets annually with every employee of the company in small groups without supervisors. This helps him stay on top of their needs and to report new benefits. “I tell them about new benefits we can offer, health care, etc. and ask them about any issues they might be having and how we address those things. This pretty much takes the month of June to get around to all the employees in our different locations. “We have some family farms that have been growing for us for more than 30 years. The farms range in size, and we have multiple different arrangements with the farms to develop a program that suits what they need, while supplying us with high-quality produce.”

Mechanical harvesting highlighted at blueberry meeting By Clint Thompson Challenges accompany the use of machine harvesters in Florida blueberry production. But as growers who implement the technology on their farms will attest, the long-term benefits are worth the short-term headaches. Ryan Atwood, Kyle Hill and Kyle Straughn were part of a grower panel at a Florida blueberry meeting in Citra on March 6. They agreed that there are certain caveats that factor in the success of using automated harvesters. They also stressed the need for the technology for growers to remain sustainable long-term. “Florida has to get a better return on the fruit, and I think the only way Florida is going to stay in the game is with machine harvesting,” said Atwood, who compared Florida’s more expensive inputs to neighboring Georgia. “Georgia’s growers inherit land from their grandpa, timber it and use that money to dig canals and put in irrigation. The soil in Georgia has 6% to 8% organic matter. In Florida, we’ve got less than 1%. Southern highbush wants 4%. You’ve got to supplement with pine bark to get your organic content up, and that’s expensive. Georgia has an inherent ability to be cheaper. Even though they’ve got lower prices, they’ve got much cheaper input costs.” LABOR PAINS The main financial strain is labor costs. Florida’s specialty crop growers who use H-2A labor are saddled with a hefty price tag with the adverse effect wage rate. So, the less labor they have to rely on, the better. “I think we can’t compete internationally without mechanical harvesting. I do believe at some point in time there will not be a commercial industry without it,” said Straughn, who has used mechanical harvesters for almost 20 years. “Luckily, it is here, and we are doing it. But it’s our only chance to compete with international labor rates.” WHEN TO PICK Growers must remember certain limitations that surround mechanical harvesting. When the crop can be harvested is a big one. Nighttime harvests are more common because of the decreased temperatures impacting the berry quality. “You can machine pick during the day if the temperature is lower. On the front end of the season, you can do that,” Atwood said. “On the back end, when temperatures are up, one of the big challenges for the Rabbiteye growers in Georgia is they’re picking their fruit in June. Even though it’s a tough berry, that’s a really warm temperature. Nighttime lends itself to cooler temperatures, which leads to fruit quality being better.” Straughn added, “You just don’t want to pick during the heat of the day with the sun baking on that berry. We try to not be out in the fields picking if it’s over 80 degrees.” OTHER LIMITATIONS It is also important to consider that not all blueberry varieties are suited for machine harvesting. Straughn and Atwood recommend Optimus and Sentinel for their locations. Machine harvesters are also prone to break down and require maintenance. If producers choose to use mechanical harvesting, it may only comprise a small percentage of the harvested crop. Straughn uses mechanical harvesters for fresh pack at about 25%, which is double of what was harvested a couple of years ago. His farming operation has the capability to do about 50%. WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT Despite various challenges associated with machine harvesting, Atwood emphasizes the investment will be worth it. “It’s difficult, and there’s a lot of challenges, but the economics of it are worth it. My advice to other people is you’ve got to push through it, and you’ve got to continue to make it work. It’s the way we’re going to stay in business,” Atwood said. Chlorpyrifos ban to begin BY FRANK GILES AND CLINT THOMPSON Fruit and vegetable growers who use chlorpyrifos are reminded that the insecticide can only be applied to food crops until June 30, after which continued use will be banned. GROWER GUIDANCE University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers advise producers that the products that contain chlorpyrifos are “unlikely to be available for sale and finding alternatives to these products is advisable. Given the June 30, 2025, cutoff on some products, the dramatic reduction of uses and possible future changes, finding alternative pest control options for crops this season is advisable.” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified 11 crops that it anticipates will be allowed chlorpyrifos use in the future, though with changes to use pattern and exposure mitigation measures. These crops include alfalfa, apple, asparagus, cherry (tart), citrus, cotton, peach, soybean, strawberry, sugar beet, and both spring and winter wheat. It is important to note that the ban is very crop, product and state specific, so growers need to be diligent about use of the chemical. There are state limitations for these crops. For instance, in Florida, It was another example of EPA being forced into action based upon legal actions in the court. But the legal wrangling continued. That tolerance revocation rule was challenged by a chlorpyrifos registrant and several grower groups in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. On Nov. 2, 2023, the Eighth Circuit issued a ruling vacating EPA’s final rule and sending the issue of chlorpyrifos tolerances back to EPA for further proceedings. The ruling did not include a timeframe or specific instructions for EPA to take final action on the use of chlorpyrifos in food or feed crops without public comment. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) were among the agriculture organizations that sued EPA, asserting the agency ignored scientific evidence that proved the pesticide’s safety. “AFBF appreciates the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals for recognizing that the Environmental Protection Agency failed to follow the law when it revoked the use of chlorpyrifos,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. FFVA stated that the agriculture groups’ challenge was an effort to restore growers’ use of chlorpyrifos on the 11 crops that passed all EPA risk assessment requirements, including citrus. only citrus, cotton, peach and soybean will have tolerances and uses. Strawberry is not allowed. Some product formulations with chlorpyrifos have been cancelled, but any product still in the user’s supply can be sprayed until June 30. LEGAL WRANGLING The EPA initially banned the use of chlorpyrifos in food crops in 2021, but a court decision overturned the revocation. The pesticide had been a target by environmental groups, which they characterize as a “brain-damaging” chemical. Agricultural groups advocated for its continued use due to its importance in pest management and scientific evidence of its safety. The initial final rule was issued in August 2021. EPA revoked all tolerances for chlorpyrifos, which established an amount of pesticide that is allowed on food. This action effectively stopped the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on all food and animal feed. EPA took this action in response to an April 2021 order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for the agency to issue — within 60 days — a final rule addressing the use of chlorpyrifos in food or feed crops, without taking public comment or engaging in “further fact-finding.” Purity
Matters When Battling
Citrus Greening